On Monday, April 13, Administrative Law Judge Eric Lipman gave his recommendation to the MN Public Utilities Commission, in favor of granting Enbridge a Certificate of Need for the Sandpiper pipeline.

This is not surprising, given Judge Lipman's refusal to consult with tribal governments, honor our requests to hold public hearings in Indian Country, or take seriously the threats to our water, rice, and way of life that this pipeline would bring with it. But somehow it is still baffling how anyone could conclude that a superhighway of dirty and volatile oil is something Minnesota "needs" passing through its pristine lakes, especially as oil production in the Bakken contracts in response to low oil prices.

It's time to turn up the pressure. The official PUC decision on the Certificate of Need is expected sometime in June. If they choose to approve it, we then enter the second phase of the process, the selection of route. In the upcoming months we intend to increase our opposition to this extreme extraction project, this violation of our sovereignty and our treaty rights, this threat to our sacred lands. Love Water Not Oil. Please join us today by becoming a Sustaining Member of our movement to protect Mother Earth and our Anishinaabe Akiing.